
March 20, 2015
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- Law News
TRIAL in the alleged case of treason preferred against members of Biafra Zionists Federation, BZF, begins today at the Federal High Court Enugu with the prosecution expected to field its first witness to testify.
The trial is coming after several months of arrest, amid protest from their counsel, Mr. Olu Omatayo, who also is the zonal Director of the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, in the South East zone, who initially instituted a N10 million suit against the Federal Government over their continued detention without trial.
The N10 million suit bordering on enforcement of fundamental human rights, was, however, withdrawn, following their formal arraignment on November 20 last year.
Facing trial is the leader of the group, Mr. Benjamin Onwuka, a lawyer by profession, and ten others, including Ndubisi Nnamushi, Kelvin Ekeh, Japhet Nwodo and Fidelis Nwonu.
Others are Paulinus Uzoegbu, Sunday Chukwuma, Uduma Uduma, Betrand Obiekwe, Abraham Ugwu and Ijaga Samson.
The charge read: “On or about June 5, 2014, in Enugu within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to secede and make a live broadcast for secession of Biafra as a nation, you armed yourselves with dangerous weapons and attacked Enugu State Broadcasting Service, Radio House and forced the staff on duty to play on air a CD (compact disc) containing Biafra jingles and speeches of late Odumegwu Ojukwu wih a view to secure or procure unconstitutionally the restoration of Biafran nation and to overawe the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan GCFR, thereby committed the offence of treason contrary to Section 37 (1) of the Criminal Code Act, LFN, 2004 and punishable under the same section of the same Act.”
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